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Kongthong: The Village Of Tunes And Whistles

Take a break at this unusual village of Meghalaya where you can see people whistling and producing tunes to converse with the other members of the village.

Language is a just a mode of communication. Be it in the form of words, songs or tunes, each and every language is rich with the culture of their respective places. Located amid the lush greenery of East Khasi Hills, this unusual village, Kongthong, can be seen moving off the usual track as they contact each other using sounds.

What can be better than utilising sounds and implying meanings resulting in no misinterpretations? If you are looking forward to mingling in the uncustomary village of Kongthong, then here is all you need to know about it. Why not get yourself immersed in the hums and tunes of the village?

Little Bit About The Village

Little Bit About The Village

PC-Satish Krishnamurthy

The whistling village of India, Kongthong, is located in the Khasi Hills of Meghalaya. With the population in hundreds, Kongthong is deemed as one of the most peaceful villages in India. Apart from using sounds as the local language, the major speciality of this place revolves around its tranquil atmosphere and heavenly beauty scattered all across the paradise of Meghalaya.

Living in isolation, Kongthong is confined to its own boundaries and people of this village are seen rarely getting in touch with the outer world. Even though today it has become a sure-shot destination for an ardent traveller and explorer because of its unusual culture, the people of Kongthong are still uninfluenced by the urbanity brought down by the tourists. They love residing within their own boundaries of happiness, satisfaction and uniqueness.

The Origin Of Whistling In The Village

The Origin Of Whistling In The Village

PC- ChanduBandi

The origin of using sounds in the village dates back to the tale of a man trying to protect himself from criminals. This legend talks about the man who climbed a tree to save himself from goons and started calling out the names of his friends by making sounds so that the criminals could remain clueless about him.

Consequently, his friends rescued him from those goons and since then, the practise of whistling and creating sounds to communicate with each other is prevalent. It soon became a matriarchal practise when mothers started giving distinctive sounds to their kids and when the kids grew up, these sounds given by their mothers became their identity.

How Do They Communicate

How Do They Communicate

PC- Bogman

There are generally two stages in this whistling village of India for producing sounds. The first stage is at the time when a mother is responsible for the child, making sounds to communicate with other people. During this phase, the mother gives certain tunes to her child through which the child gets in touch with the family.

The second stage is at the time of adulthood when grown-ups also create their own sounds and tunes to converse with family, friends and relatives. During this stage, the adult is solely responsible for handling this language of tunes and whistles.

Why Kongthong Should Be Your Destination This Season

Why Kongthong Should Be Your Destination This Season

PC- Arup Malakar

What can be better than being surrounded by hums and songs all the time amidst the beautiful valleys and rich plains of Meghalaya? The uniqueness of Kongthong in its culture and traditions is one reason which is enough to compel us to pack our bags and be on the route leading to this small hamlet nestled peacefully in the lap of nature.

You can also learn a little bit of Kongthong language and take home an everlasting memory of their warm hospitality and unique practises. Apart from savouring their culture and practises, you can also roam around the pristine environment of Kongthong spread across its bee farms, rich vegetation and towering hills.

Best Time To Visit Kongthong

Best Time To Visit Kongthong

PC- Masrur Ashraf

Due to heavy rainfall occurring during the months of the rainy season, it is advisable to avoid visiting Kongthong from July to September. If you are looking forward to enjoying the best of Kongthong village and savouring its beauty spread across hills, plains and farms, then the best time to visit Kongthong is from October until the end of May, when the weather is cool and pleasant enough.

How To Reach Kongthong

How To Reach Kongthong

PC- Maps

As there are no proper roads connected to this unusual village of Meghalaya, you need to trek up to an approximate distance of 7 km from the last motorable road. The nearest airport and railway station is at Shillong, at an approximate distance of 80 km from Kongthong. The trekking route to Kongthong is quite interesting as you can enjoy the natural beauty around the village of Kongthong.

Read more about: india travel vacation meghalaya
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